The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1887-04-08
mon duties of life they have never

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worn before.
Our sister was always trying to &c,
at the heart of things that she might
reverence only that which was worthy
In the lives Of her friends, and what
was deep and abiding in religion. This
led her to be exceedingly cautious and
careful about statements of personal
experience, afraid of grasping a shad.
ow while supposing she had a sub
stance, sensitive lest her words
should seem to express more than her
life had realized. The religion of the
Lord Jesus Christ seemed 70 demand
SO much in character that she hcsitated
when others, seeing that it was a life Of
growth and development, would speak
with confidence. This led her to delay
until late, receiving the ordinance Of
baptism lest by that act she should seem
to assume position for which she felt
herself unworthy, when that very con-
dition OF heart was the best proof she
could give of her fitness for the posi-
tom from which she shrank. Yet she
desired her brother, who received with
her the rite of baptism in her sick
chamber, to go forward in his chris
tian life and publicly identify himself
with the church Of Jesus. She saw a
wOrthiness in the other which existed
in her own heart in equal measure.
Emma loved life. She desired to
live. She hoped and prayed for life.
She wanted to see the green grass come
once more upon the hills her eyes had
watched from childhood. 1t was the
most natural thing in the world she
should so wish, and our Divine Master
assumed the self same attitude in Geth-
semane when he prayed "Father! if it
be possible, let this cup pass from mel"
Then she had SO much on the human
side to live for. The tender love of
not only one home but two homes.
She was born in the home of her grand
father and grandmother and she SEEM
ed like their child, they loved her as
their own. She stood between two
home affairs and kept the fire of glad
ness burning on each by her presence.
Those who loved her desired intensely
that she should live. Nor is this desire
out of harmony with the christian life.
Jesus raised from death the daughter
Of Jairus! Jesus honored that desire
by restoring the lost child! lie gave
Lazarus back to the home in Bethany.
The sister said, If thou hadst been here
my brother had not died! Did Jesus re-
buke her, saying, it was wrong? Love
never can part with its own without
regret. God made us human, and he
will not expect us to do violence to the
livinest thing he has planted in our
oosoms, love, that clings to the face
hat wears our likeness and the life
hat bears our name. She was only
,hild, with child's heart, a child's in
locence, and also a child's instructive
shrinking from the darkness of death,
he strange mystery Of the change.
Had she reached the summit of life's
Quincy it would have been otherwise.
remember seeing father who had
Gossed the seas and made him new
md beautiful home in another country
ome back for his wife and child. The
hip lay beside the wharf, father and
mother had no fear when they walked
cross the bridge to the deck of the !
'essel. But the child, a beautiful !
'oung girl, shrank back at the sight of
he great sea, and the thought OF the
ar off country. They had to take her c
IL their arms and carry her on board. a
But now she is in the new country and :
n the new home she sees there was no
ause for fear. So our divine Master
las gone over into the beautiful land Q
# summer and flowers and prepared :
lew house of many mansions, and
when he sends for us it will be Just {
ike the child heart to shrink from the
Unknown sea of death and fear to sail y
once at home, once in the 7
louse of many mansions, new view !
# life and death will come. {
And it seems that our loved sister !
lad the strong arm of the heavenly
father to lift and bear her over the t
cas-, for in the moments of transition /,
he said, "God is no respector of per-
ons," as though she felt his strength Z
vas hers. And when she said "every-
hing il all right" it seemed as though
he had nestled up nearer to his great 5
leart and felt the security of weary !
oul that rests in him.